


answer me this

by exrui



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Protect Lucas Sinclair, Protective Steve Harrington, Racism, Slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23800906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exrui/pseuds/exrui
Summary: he watched with a blank face as they took out the screws and break his bike in two. they turned to him and their smiles were wide and wicked. he kept up the nonchalant facade as they made their way towards him.
Relationships: Steve Harrington & Lucas Sinclair
Comments: 1
Kudos: 25





	answer me this

**Author's Note:**

> i need more lucas and steve content on this website 
> 
> along with addressing the racism lucas faces, i enjoy those

It was late, the sun was beginning to set.

He knew he shouldn't have stayed behind. He told the guys they could go on without him because he left his bandana in AV. He _should have known_ it wouldn't have been a good idea to fall behind and go home without them.

Lucas slowed down his steps when he saw a small group of white kids by his bike. He watched with a blank face as they took out the screws and break his bike in two. They turned to him and their smiles were wide and wicked. He kept up the nonchalant facade as they made their way towards him. 

"Where's your friends, huh?" A boy much bigger than him spoke, then he got shoved. _Hard._ He fell onto the ground and he winced as he felt the hard concrete attack his back. "They left you, didn't they?" A brunet chuckled and grabbed a hand full of his shirt, letting him hang a few inches above the ground. "Guess they didn't want to hand out with a dumb nigger anymore." Lucas tried to rip the hand from his shirt only to get kicked in his side. He groaned and fell to the ground, they held him up again. He came face to face with a snarling freckled face boy. "Don't touch him. Wouldn't wanna give anyone jungle fever." All of them laughed but Lucas tried not to pay attention to it. He tried not to let it affect him, this happened a lot so what's the use of showing how much it hurt? Nothing, they'll just gang up on him more that way.

He was roughly dropped to the ground, his head banging against the concrete. The kids walked away laughing amongst themselves as he checked his head ー which was _unfortunately,_ bleeding now. Great. 

"No one needs you, you fucking monkey. Go back to your wannabe white parents." A girl laughed at what was said then chimed in, "if he even has any." The kids laughed again, Lucas sat there until there voices faded out down the street. He pushed himself up with a sigh and walked over to his bike. For a moment, he's lips pulled into a deep frown as he stared at his ruined bike. The screws were spread out on the ground, the bike looked like it was almost ripped in half as the parts laid there. Shaking his head, he shoved the stray screws in his pocket and picked up the parts of the bike and started to walk home.

Honestly, it was getting old. _This_ whole thing. The dumb kids at this dumb school. It's not worth it anymore. He felt his eyes water as he continued down the side walk. Come on, he was supposed to the ranger. _The fearless ranger._ He shouldn't be weak. He's Lucas Sinclair, not afraid of anything. 

But what if one day...it goes to far? Gets to hard to handle? What about then?

Thunder clapped, suddenly there was rain coming down. Lucas groaned and wiped his face, but it was no use. He's gonna get soaked anyway. He sniffled as he thought about what those kids said, he couldn't help the sharp cry that he let out. "Fuck!" He screamed, his voice cracked as tears ran down his face, mixing with the rain. "Why does it always happen to me?" He paused and looked at the sky. Lightning popped up through the clouds, the thunder getting louder, the rain getting heavier. Shaking his head again, he continued to walk home, slowly though. He's already wet so what's the rush?

He gently touched his head, wincing when he felt the stinging sensation. His fingers came foward with blood staining them. However, he remember he had his bandana with him, so he just wrapped it around his head, just for now.

"Hey!" Someone honked a horn at him, and he froze. "Hey, Lucas! What're you doing?" When he heard his name, he turned around to see a familiar burgundy Beamer. "St..Steve?" The older teen nodded and waved for him to come closer. "Yeah, it's me! Get inside, i'll take you home." Honestly, he didn't want to get in the car. He would much rather continue to walk in the rain and keep to himself. But, he still ran to the passenger side as Steve took his bike and put them in the trunk. He sat there shivering as he continued to drive down the road again.

Lucas didn't realize he was crying until he felt a hand on his shoulder, he flinched away, forgetting it was Steve who he was in the car with. "Are you alright? You're crying, that's pretty unusual." Steve tried to joke, but he didn't here a laugh in response. So he stopped to park the car in front of a restaurant. "Kid," he shifted in his seat to face the younger. "You can talk to me, y'know?" Steve pressed, giving Lucas a reassuring smile and squeezed his shoulder. "I'm not gonna _judge_ you or anythin- well that depends on what's got you crying-" Steve didn't finish his thought before Lucas suddenly crashed his face into his chest. He didn't know what to do because the boy started crying harder, his arms wrapping tightly around Steve's waist as he let his tears flow.

The brunet in return, hugged Lucas as close as he could in the car. The boy pulled away and started mumbling apologies for wetting his shirt once he saw the concerned look on Steve's face. But the older wouldn't let slide. He got out of the car and walked over to the passenger side. "What are you do-" Lucas asked as suddenly carried him to the back seat. Steve shut the door as he crawled back there with him. "We're gonna talk, m'kay?" The brunet clarifies, his eyes were filled with worry and concern as his lips pulled into a fine line. "Plus it's more room back here, so if you need a hug or anything-" Lucas wiped away stray tears and groaned. "I don't need a hug, Steve. It's nothing. _Really_ , i'm fine." He looked out the window, avoiding the other's gaze ー which was steadily getting more worried by the second. " _Lucas._ " when his name was called, it was stern, basically forcing him to look at Steve again. " _Talk to me._ It's not like you to be upset like this, and- and for you to try to brush it off like it's _nothing_ makes me even more concerned." Honestly, he would've laughed. Steve sounded so much like his mom, no joke. But he felt a little tingle by the fact that Steve was _this_ worried about him. The dumb senior grew on him.

With a sigh, he turned his body towards Steve but refused to meet his eyes. "Something happened...after school." A quick glance, the other was still staring at him, looking at him expectantly. "There were some kids," he furrowed his eyebrows and shifted awkwardly in the seat, Steve only nodded and continued to stare. It kind of made him uncomfortable, having eyes on him. Especially when the guy wasn't saying anything, just...kinda observing. 

"I saw them, breaking my bike. That's why it looked that way. Then they said some _stuff_ , and it kinda got out of hand, only when they started to leave though." Lucas finally returned Steve's look, who was _way_ closer to him than he remembered. Steve sighed before frowning at him. It confused him, but he didn't voice it.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. "Lucas," until the older spoke again. "Uhm, what did these kids look like?" There was something in that tone he couldn't place, but it made him put his head in his hands. "They were white." Another nod. "Thought so."

Another moment of silence, you could only here Steve bouncing his leg, and Lucas' sharp intakes of breaths and sniffles.

Thinking more about it, he felt his vision get blurry with tears. He sniffed more, trying not to cry but Steve had to put a hand on his shoulder again and say, "c'mere." It broke him down for the second time. Steve brought him into a hug and rubbed his back as Lucas gripped tightly onto his jacket.

"Do I need to supervise you or something if you're by yourself?" Steve shifted a bit, but not entirely letting Lucas go, who laughed and shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. I can handle myself." That earned him an unimpressed look that made his lips curl into a small smile. "Really, I can! I'm not scared of some dumb older kids." His tone was a tiny bit offensive, he can admit that. Apparently Steve heard it too and shook his head lightly. "It's okay to be scared sometimes, Lucas," there was soft smile that made the boy freeze for a moment. "You don't always _have_ to be that fearless ranger."

Lucas pulled away slightly, leaning back against the seat with a huff. He stared forward, ignoring the way Steve kept staring at him. He honestly doesn't know why the hell he's talking to him about it? It's not like he can relate. Barely anyone in this town could anyways.

"It just hurts, like-" pausing, he cut himself off with a snort. "I don't do anything to _anybody_ here, but somehow they always do this shit. It's dumb. It's so _tiring_ having to deal with these people who don't even care to see me besides the fact that I'm fucking black. It shouldn't even matter!" He was just...frustrated and angry. There were more tears running down his face as he continued on. "Imagine how it feels to get called 'midnight' and a nig- _that,_ for just minding your own business. I'm sick of it." Steve was understandably quiet during his rant, but he still had his arm around his shoulder in a comforting manner. He feels worn out. All the crying and the anger he feels made his head pound. He just wants to go home.

"Of course I don't know what that feels like, been privileged majority for time ー especially in school. So I'm not gonna tell you what to feel," Steve paused, making Lucas lock eyes with him again. "But I can tell you that most of the people here are _in fact,_ major assholes who have unlimited amounts of ignorance and bigotry. Like Jesus Christ, where do they keep it all?" That made him chuckle a tiny bit, he couldn't resist adding on, "they probably keep it up their ass." Steve made a noise of confirmation. "That explains why these guys are major pains." He mockingly whispered, making him laugh again.

But their laughter died down and Steve was speaking sternly again. "How you feel is one-hundred percent vaild. This town is too close minded and stuck in the past. What those kids did to you was _wrong._ " at that, Lucas nodded in agreement. "Well, yeah. But it's not like anyone even sticks up for me. The guys, they don't even do that. Rarely." Lucas gave Steve a tight lipped smile. "You're like legit, the _only_ person to stick up for me besides Max. The whole thing with Billy Hargrove ー it was cool but scary at the same time? Yeah." The brunet chuckled again. "Yeah, that was a dickhead move from him." He hummed.

They sat in silence again, but it was more comfortable this time. He liked Steve, now Steve always listened to when they came to him without irritation. Just...fondness. Like a dad.

"Hey," then he spoke again. "How about we grab something to eat, since we're already at a food joint? I'll take you home after." Lucas winced at that. "I don't know." Steve nudged him with a grin. "C'mon. It'll give you time to just calm down a bit. I'll even take whatever scolding your mom throws my way cause we're late." The persistent look on his face, the way there was still a bit of concern present as well made Lucas grin back at him just as big. "Alright, then. But the blame's gonna be all on _you_." Steve hopped out the car with a huff of laughter and held Lucas close to him as they walked towards the entrance.

Honestly, Lucas really did like Steve. He never would've thought the older teen would even _care_ enough to comfort him like he did just now. But he listened. And empathized.

For the first time since the showdown at Will's, he's found a safespace.

**Author's Note:**

> stay safe and iNSIdE
> 
> talk to someone if you're going through something* (damn i can't spell), and this is coming from a person whose had/have trouble opening up about stuff. but just know it'll get better, in the future.
> 
> but if like,, any of y'all are going through anything or just need a friend or some shit, i here to talk yk ((':
> 
> also i went a little light on the slurs and shit because i kinda got sad while writing and i couldn't finish it at first 
> 
> !!!


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